


In Aqua Sanitas

by black_tea



Series: In Perpetuum Et Unum Diem [2]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Banter, Kissing, M/M, Post-Star Trek Beyond, Swimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-28 07:44:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7631212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/black_tea/pseuds/black_tea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Comes after 'In Vino Veritas'. The Enterprise crew has dinner together, and Bones gets an eyeful of Spock in a swimsuit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Aqua Sanitas

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, still not getting done what I'm supposed to, because Spones is eating my brain right now.

Leonard found Jim in the makeshift office Starfleet had assigned him. Sure it would be months before their new ship was completed, and yes they were getting extra R&R, but that didn't mean there wasn't still work to be done. Jim himself looked rather wrung out. “I don't know how many times I've gone over our last mission. I think I've lost count.” he groaned.

Under any other circumstances Leonard would have been sympathetic, but he still had a bone to pick with his friend and captain, so he sat down across from the younger man and commenced glowering. Noting his silence, Jim opened one eye and peered at him. “Something bothering you, Bones?”

The fact Jim had been making bets about his love life and the fact he had gotten walked in on briefly warred for supremacy, so he went with the fresher of the two complaints. “You ever heard of knocking, Jim?” He finally spat out.

Jim looked puzzled for a moment before comprehension dawned. “Oh come on now Bones, how was I supposed to know you'd be wrapped around my First Officer? When I left, you were avoiding talking to him. Besides, how many times have you accidentally walked in on me back at the Academy?”

“We were roommates, that makes it pretty darn hard to avoid.” he growled. “Not to mention you making a bet with _Scotty_.

“And it was a sure thing too – you can't hold that against me. Scotty's getting all kinds of told-you-so's from Keenser.”

“ _Keenser_! For fuck's sake, Jim! What is this, middle school?”

“Cheer up Bones, I have just the thing.” With a flourish he pulled out a bottle of amber colored liquid. “I figured you'd stop by, so I made sure to be prepared.”

Bones looked suspiciously at the bottle as Jim poured some into a glass and pushed it over to him. “This isn't?” He grumbled. “OK, fine.” He rolled his eyes and took a sip. He brought the glass down to examine the contents again. “Alright, that _is_ good stuff.”

“Told you.” Jim replied, looking smug. He schooled his features into a more serious expression. “Is there anything work related you wanted to talk to me about?”

Leonard set the glass down feeling somewhat mollified. “Yeah, I've been working with Starfleet Medical to make sure all crew members meet with a counselor. There's no way everybody made it through _that_ ordeal with out some mental scarring.” _Hell, I got drunk at a party and tried to make out with the Vulcan science officer. If that isn't crazy behavior, I don't know what is._ Not that Leonard regretted it, but still. “That means you too, kid.”

Jim predictably made a face, but Bones cut him off before he could whine about it. “I don't want to hear it – think of this as penance.”

“I thought giving you the scotch was penance.”

“No, sharing your ill gotten gains doesn't count.”

“Alright. Actually, you're right, and I know it's a good idea.”

“Of course I'm right.” he huffed. “That's why I'm the CMO. That and I was crazy enough to join Starfleet to begin with.”

“Want to catch dinner later? Scotty, Uhura and Spock are all definites so far.”

“Sure, why not. The replicator in my quarters is lacking.”

Jim grinned. “Great!”

* * *

It wasn't just poorly replicated food Leonard was attempting to escape, but, “All these god damned messages!” He complained to Spock who he had run into in the lift. His barrage of complaints continued, though how attractive Spock looked in his civilian clothes was not at all lost on him. “I've had four people trying to weasel their way out of their mandated therapy sessions, somehow one of the Ensign's medical records got lost – I don't know how that even happened! Damned technology.”

“Leonard, I doubt technology is to blame. A computer can only do what it's operators program and instruct it to.” Spock interjected calmly.

“Are you telling me it's user error?” he huffed.

“Most likely, by someone using the system.” 

They stepped out onto the plaza and headed towards the next door building, all glittering glass reflecting the colors of twilight. Of course the atmosphere was completely man made, and they were floating around in what was in actuality a gigantic ball hanging out in the cold, dark void of space.

“The computer hates me.” Leonard grumbled. “Damn thing's been slow all day. It's a miracle those reports got done.”

“The computer does not have the capacity to hate you or anyone else.” Spock pointed out unflappably.

“I _know_ that Spock.” he rolled his eyes in exasperation, though his mood was already considerably lightening. “It wasn't meant to be literal.”

“Then you should use more precise speech.” Spock rejoined, face calm, eyes amused.

Leonard huffed again at that, while covertly eyeing the Vulcan and thinking of the lean, fit body under that nice jacket. “And you could use a sense of humor.” They came to the door of the building – the restaurant was located six floors up. He opened the door for Spock and gestured for the Vulcan to precede him inside. “After you.” He gently let his hand touch the small of Spock's back as they stepped into the building's interior. It was a half conscious gesture, and Spock didn't seem to object.

When they stepped into the lift, they stood closer than any two people needed two in the empty space. Leonard hesitatingly touched his two fingers to Spock's. Spock returned the gesture, gently caressing the other man's digits for a moment. The lift suddenly seemed small and over warm. A chime sounded as they reached the sixth floor and the doors slid open.

The restaurant was straight out of the lift through a set of double frosted glass doors. Leonard wasn't quite sure what to expect, but was pleased to find a pleasant atmosphere – not exactly casual, but not terribly fancy either. The kind of place you could take your time and relax over your food. Movement caught his eye as Jim waved to them from across the room. They were seated near a window that offered a nice view of the square below with it's fountain and plantings framed by the graceful structures that rose up on the other side of the open area.

He felt a sudden pang of guilt at seeing Uhura, but she merely smiled in welcome. There was nothing in her face to suggest distress. Leonard gruffly returned Scotty's, “Oh, hi lads,” and seated himself between Chekov and Jim as Spock took a seat across from him. 

“Nice place.” He looked around approvingly.

“Sulu suggested it.” Chekov supplied. “The view is splendid.”

“And it's not too stuffy.” Jim added with a smile. “I've had enough of that with all the meetings.” He gazed out the window. Yorktown really is a beautiful place.”

Leonard snorted. “I don't know Jim, it seems a bit fragile to me – this snow globe just about got shaken up and dropped.”

“Actually, Leonard, the alien swarm that attacked the Yorktown was something of an anomaly. Under most circumstances taking into account the base's structural integrity and defenses, the probability of it sustaining critical damage to -”

Leonard couldn't help himself. He rolled his eyes. “Here we go again. You don't have turn everything into a mathematical equation.” Damn it, he hated that Jim was so right.

“On the contrary, I find that mathematics is an excellent tool with which to analyze our surroundings and various problems.” 

Jim was trying to hide his grin behind a hand while Scotty on the other hand seemed to be studying them as if they were a particularly odd engineering problem. Chekov at least was completely clueless. The arrival of the waiter interrupted their strange little moment, which was probably a good thing since Leonard wasn't sure if he wanted to glower at Scotty or laugh alongside Jim. He settled for looking somewhat disgruntled and ordered his food.

Spock appeared to be his usual stoic unperturbed self, but there was a slight crinkle in the corner of his eyes and a tiny upward tick of the corner of his mouth that suggested good humor in his own Vulcan sort of way. The evening passed pleasantly with Sulu and his husband stopping by for dessert. 

“With us being stuck here for another few months, and the meetings winding down, I was thinking about volunteering to teach a hand to hand combat class.” Jim mentioned as he sipped his coffee. “Any body else have any plans?”

“I need to continue studying and organizing the scientific data that was backed up here before the Enterprise was sent out on her last mission. A lot of research was destroyed with the ship, but I am hopeful that much of the raw data we had collected was saved.”

Leonard winced inwardly. Glad simply to be alive after their ordeal, it hadn't fully sunken in just how much had been lost with the ship. “There are some seminars being offered through Medical that I wanted to sit in on. We've been out in space for so long, and well, there's a difference between reading a journal article and actually getting to take a class.”

“I just want to spend time with my family.” Sulu admitted, finally.

“You deserve it.” Uhura smiled at him. “Take the time while you can.” She caught Leonard watching her and gave him an understanding look, perhaps a bit sad for a moment, but one that clearly said. 'It's okay.' He felt tension that he didn't even realize he was carrying leave him. He had nothing but respect for Uhura, and the last thing he wanted to do was inadvertently hurt her.

“I'll be tutoring students in Andorian and Romulan.” She announced. “High school kids – it should be fun to do something different for a little while. Who knows, maybe some of them will end up at the Academy.”

 _This time off should be good for us. There's enough to do around here that we won't be bored out of our skulls, but it's an easier pace._ Leonard reflected. Outside, which wasn't _really_ outside, the station had switched to night mode. Streetlights cast a soft glow over the square below and most of the lights in the building across the street were now out. 

They soon took leave of each other. With the exception of Sulu who was staying with his husband and child, the rest were being housed in the same building. But Scotty and Uhura decided to take a walk, and Jim and Chekov's quarters were at the end closest to the lift leaving Spock and Leonard the last to part ways for the night. They paused outside Leonard's door.

“This building contains its own swimming pool on the lowest floor. I was planning on making use of it tomorrow morning. Would you like to join me?” Spock asked.

Leonard's first thought was some physical activity could do him good. His second was in no way would he miss a chance at seeing Spock mostly naked and dripping wet. “Sure thing, darlin'.” He couldn't tell for certain in the dim lighting, but he almost could've sworn that Spock had colored a bit at the endearment. 

“I would suggest mid morning. The swimming facilities are less likely to be crowded then.”

“That works for me, I don't have to be over at Medical until 1300.” 

“In that case, I will see you tomorrow.” He brought a hand up to gently touch Leonard's jaw and bent slightly to brush his lips lightly over Leonard's own. 

He felt a little like a high school girl being dropped off at the front door by her date and that he was definitely too old for that. At the same time there was something about the gesture coming from Spock that was undeniably cute, and he couldn't help but think his Mama would approve. 

“Goodnight, Spock.” He gave the Vulcan's bicep a squeeze. 

As he readied himself for bed his mind kept chewing on the not unpleasant question of what Spock was like in bed. He was so controlled all the time that it was hard to imagine him just letting go. Before a few nights ago if anyone had told him he'd be picturing Spock naked, he would have referred them to the nearest counselor for a psychological exam. Well, hindsight was always twenty-twenty, and looking back he had clearly been drawn to the pointy eared bugger for awhile. God, his life was weird. Still, he climbed into bed feeling rather buoyant.

* * *

Spock in a swimsuit did not disappoint. In fact, Spock in a swimsuit was so far from disappointing that Leonard worried that his brain would short circuit. Granted, he knew what Spock looked like – he was a medical professional after all. Seeing people in various states of undress just went with the territory, and he never thought much of it. Now, however, _now_ that he was fully sensitized to the reality of Spock as potential romantic partner whom it was actually appropriate to admire, _well, damn!_ were the only words that seemed appropriate.

The Vulcan was all long lean muscle and smooth bare skin, fit, supple and well proportioned. Leonard bit back the urge to pet the cute dark fuzz on his tummy and tried hard to not look any farther south. Those trunks did not leave a whole lot to the imagination. 

“Are you alright, Leonard?” Spock asked curiously, and it was hard for him to tell if Spock realized he was basically ogling him in the locker room.

“Oh, yeah. Of course.”

“Shall we then?” 

Leonard followed him out to the pool, his hand gently touching Spock's lower back again. He quickly dropped his hand when it suddenly occurred to him that the Vulcan could be picking up all of his randy emotions through his touch. If Spock were bothered by such a breech, he made no sign.

“I can't imagine there was much opportunity to swim when you were growing up.”

“There was not. Vulcan was a desert planet, and water was an important resource to be conserved. However, I learned when I came to the Academy. It seemed a prudent skill to know considering we would potentially be exploring many different planets.”

Leonard slipped into the water. “Isn't this cold for you?”

“It is acceptable once I am moving and my body is warmed up.” Spock followed him in much more gracefully. He had also been correct in that they had the place mostly to themselves. There was one older man using the lane farthest from them. Most people would be at work or school, leaving them in relative peace.

Leonard didn't try to do anything stupid like race Spock. He was well aware that his Vulcan ancestry made him stronger and faster than his human counterparts. Instead, he found a rhythm comfortable to his own level of fitness. He hadn't been swimming in awhile, and found himself enjoying it. It was easy to lose himself in the whoosh of the water and the feel of his body moving, light and near weightless. He and Spock periodically passed one another, and Leonard felt content knowing that he was there. Once he figured he'd done enough, he lounged in the shallow end and waited for Spock. The Vulcan completed another two laps and joined him.

“This was a good idea, Spock. If you ever want company in the future...”

“That would be most agreeable.” Spock replied as they climbed out, mostly naked Spock glistening with water giving Leonard another treat.

Leonard showered off after, trying his hardest to think virtuous thoughts and only partially succeeding. As he dressed in warm dry clothes, he was pleased he had agreed to this – he had that nice relaxed, tired but in a good way feeling that told him he had experienced a solid workout without over straining. Somehow Spock managed to put himself back together absolutely immaculately. Leonard had no idea how the Vulcan had managed it – perhaps it was some strange power to go with his touch telepathy and whatever mental tricks that came with the green blood and pointy ears. He was pretty sure his own still damp hair was attempting to stick up. The two men walked back to the lift in companionable silence. They entered the small space, the door closed, and they were temporarily alone.

Spock promptly turned to him and covered his mouth in a kiss. That Spock would take a moment of reasonable privacy to show affection didn't surprise Leonard. What surprised the doctor was the thoroughness and heat behind the action. 

“I apologize. It seems that the sight of you in swimming attire affected me more than I expected.” Spock apologized as he straightened up.

Leonard fought back the urge to laugh. “Are you saying I'm sexy in a swimsuit?”

Spock's ear tips flushed green.“You are very aesthetically appealing.” 

Unable to help himself, Leonard let out a snort of laughter and clapped a slightly disconcerted looking Spock on the shoulder. “You're not so bad yourself.” he grinned. _So I wasn't the only one staring after all._ The lift stopped at the floor housing the Enterprise's senior staff and got out, Leonard a bit regretfully. 

“I must head to the science facility soon.” Spock said.

“And I need to grab a bite to eat and head over to Medical. Later, then?”

“Affirmative.” Spock replied. 

They paused for a long moment, before going their separate ways. Leonard was beginning to hope that 'later' involved somewhere private where he could touch as well as look. What amazed him the most was how natural the idea felt. _Well, it's not like we just met – we've been rattling around in the same space going tin can for years now, and damn it all if the hobgoblin isn't attractive as hell, pointy ears and all._

He replicated himself some lunch – a grill cheese sandwich and tomato soup. This time the food tasted much better. Whether it was because he was in a better mood or the replicator's abilities were simply uneven, Leonard was unable to say. He managed to tame his unruly hair, grabbed a PADD and headed out to Medical, his thoughts very much on 'later.'


End file.
